28 replies to this topic

[rally1380]

^^^ Still got to store them somewhere when you are not using them.

 

Much better idea than the first ramp solution at the top of the page.  Get the pivot point right and you'd be able to tip the car to horizontal by hand with no need for a jack.

[finch661]

few more

 

http://www.hamercarlift.com/ i was always told that farm jacks (i believe thats what they are) are very dangerous?

 

i found another one, which looks like a scissor lift, but then pivots as well, meaning you can lift the car off the ground but then tilt it as well... looked terrifying  

[Guess-Works.com]

http://www.hamercarlift.com/ i was always told that farm jacks (i believe thats what they are) are very dangerous?

 

 

I can see at least 2 really big design flaws with that.

 

1. For a single person to raise a car you're going to have to slowly increase the height corner by corner until at the height you want... You'll be knackered before you even start.

 

2. The operating arm goes up with the lift, so is not for short arses.

 

oh, and check out the HAMER adjustable work seat ;)

[Tommyboy12]

Maybe its just me but those movable scissor types look like a recipe for disaster. What happens if you pull down on a breaker bar and it causes the car lean over? I certainly wouldnt want it landing on me! I certainly wouldnt use one on gravel as previously posted. You should never jack a car up on unstable ground.

[finch661]

 

http://www.hamercarlift.com/ i was always told that farm jacks (i believe thats what they are) are very dangerous?

 

 

I can see at least 2 really big design flaws with that.

 

1. For a single person to raise a car you're going to have to slowly increase the height corner by corner until at the height you want... You'll be knackered before you even start.

 

2. The operating arm goes up with the lift, so is not for short arses.

 

oh, and check out the HAMER adjustable work seat ;)

 

 

haha love the seat!

[CityEPete]

 

Errmmmm.....what is wrong with using wood?  Houses are made of the stuff and they weight a fair bit more than a 600Kg mini.  Made right, (even using softwood available from your local DIY place), a timber structure would easily support a car.  Thinking it has to be hardwood just shows a misunderstanding of the material....softwoods are bloody strong if used right.  The corvette one above is softwood and OSB sheet (not exactly cutting edge plywood either!) and does the job nicely.....metal is only as good as your welding too!!!....suppose wood is only as good as the joints, but either way timber 'wood' be ok if used right.

 

 

Anyway, back to the OP's suggestions....

 

The first ramp is really simple - but where the hell does £1000 come in?  You could make that for a couple of hundred quid (if that.) For a grand I want a hydraulic jack system to be included so you can pump away and level the car up without the need for a jack.

 

For the average hobby mechanic, a decent high lift trolley jack and 4 decent axel stands is all you need - easy to use, and easy to store away. Any large ramp system would just be a P.I.T.A to store and you'll end up 'not' using it 99% of the time.....waste of money.

@Rally1380 haha, i know wood is fine, i know houses are built from it (in my timber framed house as we speak), i cant help but think of bendy wood lol. 

In terms of the first ramp, i would be tempted to build my own - it deosnt look to hard/difficult to design - yeah £1,000 seems quite a lot!  I have a trolley jack, axle stands and ramps, which has worked for the last few years on the mini, but seem to be doing more and more on my other car (volvo). its not as forgiving as the mini!

 

This is mine, CJ autos tilting lift. Goes twice as high as it is in the picture, if you tilt it the rear wheels come to chest height! Bit tricky to get under, a pit that drops it into the floor would be good.

That is epic - but again is it not about £1k? i like that deign, as you can get under the car easily enough and you are able to move the wheels etc.

 

There's very little I do to a mini without using the lift. Even if I'm just doing a service, it's on the lift, simply because I'm getting old and there's nothing worse than sitting on a cold concrete floor.

Yeah i agree about the concrete - and im not that old. The main thing for me is having enough room to remove bits from the underside (again not just the mini, volvo, i have an mg midget as well). hate having the car an inch from my face whilst trying to undo a bolt!

 

It was only about £400

[finch661]

 

 

Errmmmm.....what is wrong with using wood?  Houses are made of the stuff and they weight a fair bit more than a 600Kg mini.  Made right, (even using softwood available from your local DIY place), a timber structure would easily support a car.  Thinking it has to be hardwood just shows a misunderstanding of the material....softwoods are bloody strong if used right.  The corvette one above is softwood and OSB sheet (not exactly cutting edge plywood either!) and does the job nicely.....metal is only as good as your welding too!!!....suppose wood is only as good as the joints, but either way timber 'wood' be ok if used right.

 

 

Anyway, back to the OP's suggestions....

 

The first ramp is really simple - but where the hell does £1000 come in?  You could make that for a couple of hundred quid (if that.) For a grand I want a hydraulic jack system to be included so you can pump away and level the car up without the need for a jack.

 

For the average hobby mechanic, a decent high lift trolley jack and 4 decent axel stands is all you need - easy to use, and easy to store away. Any large ramp system would just be a P.I.T.A to store and you'll end up 'not' using it 99% of the time.....waste of money.

@Rally1380 haha, i know wood is fine, i know houses are built from it (in my timber framed house as we speak), i cant help but think of bendy wood lol. 

In terms of the first ramp, i would be tempted to build my own - it deosnt look to hard/difficult to design - yeah £1,000 seems quite a lot!  I have a trolley jack, axle stands and ramps, which has worked for the last few years on the mini, but seem to be doing more and more on my other car (volvo). its not as forgiving as the mini!

 

This is mine, CJ autos tilting lift. Goes twice as high as it is in the picture, if you tilt it the rear wheels come to chest height! Bit tricky to get under, a pit that drops it into the floor would be good.

That is epic - but again is it not about £1k? i like that deign, as you can get under the car easily enough and you are able to move the wheels etc.

 

There's very little I do to a mini without using the lift. Even if I'm just doing a service, it's on the lift, simply because I'm getting old and there's nothing worse than sitting on a cold concrete floor.

Yeah i agree about the concrete - and im not that old. The main thing for me is having enough room to remove bits from the underside (again not just the mini, volvo, i have an mg midget as well). hate having the car an inch from my face whilst trying to undo a bolt!

 

It was only about £400

 

ah yes, just found it  - its £450 at the moment which isnt too bad. it looks interesting actually - in terms of tiling it, is it purely the friction material that stops it sliding (when tilted)?

[CityEPete]

Yes rubber strips the full length of the skids, as for it being on gravel is very stable, has a locking pin to stop it tilting plus I've put axle stands under there too, trust me it's much safer than what most people use.

[finch661]

Yes rubber strips the full length of the skids, as for it being on gravel is very stable, has a locking pin to stop it tilting plus I've put axle stands under there too, trust me it's much safer than what most people use.

I am tempted!

[CityEPete]

It folds flat and is stored against the garage wall too, not many lifts can do that either.

[Mini Manannán]

these look interesting  http://www.restorati...document&part=2 but they would be the size of my garage

 

You only get the plans though!

[finch661]

 

these look interesting  http://www.restorati...document&part=2 but they would be the size of my garage

 

You only get the plans though!

 

aye and at £27 it seems a bit expensive!

[DomCr250]

I use this ... just under a grand new and does all my cars including a 2 ton land cruiser.

 

[/URL]

 

It's semi portable (weight is about 400Kg, but has wheels) and you need some ramps to get a mini or a low car on it, some people dig out the garage floor by about 4 inches and put it in the hole.

 

Very stable and makes almost anything easy.

 

That's not at it's maximum height, goes up another 6 inches i'd say.

 

Access from underneath

 

Edited by DomCr250, 14 August 2015 - 10:21 AM.

[Nu2mini]

CJ Autos adjustable ramps. I wouldn't be without them.  image.jpg   80.35K   22 downloads  image.jpg   63.9K   16 downloads